Missouri prepares for hurricane remnants

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- The path of Hurricane Isaac northward from the Gulf Coast is still uncertain, but Missouri officials are urging people to prepare for possible heavy rain and power outages.

The Missouri Public Service Commission, which regulates utilities, recommends that residents prepare emergency kits including bottled water, flashlights and batteries. The agency also cautions that people should assume any downed power lines are live and dangerous.

Electric and natural gas provider Ameren Corp. said Wednesday it’s still monitoring the weather. The company has 2.4 million electric and 900,000 natural gas customers in Missouri and Illinois.

As of Wednesday night, the National Weather Service was predicting heavy rain as far north as St. Louis for Friday night and Saturday.